


Last Wish

by Felin_V



Series: Edelgard month 2020 [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Gen, Implied Death, Light Angst, Peaceful days, Post-War, there's still hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25009705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felin_V/pseuds/Felin_V
Summary: A mini one-short series to celebrate Pride month (Edelgard month).The stories focus on the peaceful days Edelgard spends with her BEgles.This time, Edelgard has a small talk with Linhardt in the library.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Linhardt von Hevring & Edelgard von Hresvelg
Series: Edelgard month 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773853
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Last Wish

Edelgard loved the sunny day. Even when she was just a young little girl, she loved to run around the soft grass with her bare foot and submerged herself into the warm breeze and the fresh sunlight above. The most favorite part was when she sank herself into the feathery meadow with a heaving chest after the exciting race with the whistling wind, looking up into the clear blue sky with her crystallized lilac orbs. And her yearning and craving for the pleasant, beautiful day were amplified over the years she was confined within the dark, cold dungeon. Unfortunately, despite the magnified desire of the sun, her crimson path never allowed her to roam free with a bright smile as she used to do. Not until recently anyway. After the last battle, the new dawn had bestowed onto Fodlan and allowed its citizen to bloom with all their might. And after the long years of meetings and parchments, the Emperor finally successfully established the new government that could function without having her involved directly. After the long years of devotion to the new Fodlan, she finally achieved what she had dreamt ever since the day her hair changed its color and her fire altered its intensity. And that’s why Edelgard was able to roam free again during a sunny day. And she loved one of those days. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days. 

As the raindrops lazily tabbed against the blurry window with a soothing rhythm, Edelgard wandered down the dim hallway with a lip formed in a tight line. She did not hate the raining day, but she would prefer the clear sky that allowed her to spend time outside during her free time rather than the cloudy gray and the dull roof. Nonetheless, being inside was not really unbearable when she could, at least, drift freely without concern about what her next meetings would be. Eventually, after a long moment, Edelgard found her legs brought her to the library of the palace. Thinking that she had nothing to do for the afternoon, the Emperor peered inside to see if she could, perhaps, spend her day here. But when the lilac eyes scanned through the ancient bookshelves, the pine green locks flashed into her sight along with a faint snore. Edelgard secretly sighed in helplessness as she quietly approached the sleeping Crest Scholar.

“What are you doing, Linhardt?” 

Despite the sudden question directed at him, Linhardt slurred out an annoyed groan as he slightly squirmed on the seat without any sign of guilt or shame in the slightest. When the dim, sleepy eyes turned to the scornful lilac eyes, Edelgard could not resist another sigh and furrowing her brows in response to the big yawn Linhardt casually sent to her. A moment went by for Edelgard to quietly watch the pine green locks leisurely stretched his rigid body without any care to reply. And so, the Emperor decided to go around the table and stood face to face with the most talented Crest Scholar they had before quirking her brow higher to send another inquisitive look. 

As if he just realized that the woman before him asked a question, Linhardt drowsily responded, “Ah. Hello, Your Majesty. Mind I ask what are you doing here?”

With that, Edelgard narrowed her eyes and sent a man with another light glare, which did not make Linhardt winced nor flinched at all. And when the man decided to finally get the rather obvious clue, he simply exclaimed, “Ah. Right. You asked me first.” 

After that, Linhardt paused with another yawn before he reorganized various old documents and books in front of him while opening his lip again to answer to the overdue question. “I was actually researching these old books for any clues to remove a crest.”

Edelgard hummed in acknowledgment as she settled herself in the wooden chair across the pine green locks who was struggling to suppress yet another yawn. With her direct angle, Edelgard realized the dark circle under the deep blue eyes and how exhausted the man looked. 

And so, Edelgard curiously asked with a tone heavy in concerns, “And how long have you been here exactly, mind if I ask?”

Linhardt contemplated the question for a moment before he shrugged and replied with his usual relaxing tone, “I don’t know. Maybe a day or two? I just wanted to finally crack the code in the documents we got from Those Who Slither. While I do have some theory regarding how to remove a Crest, there’s not enough evidence to support my hypothesis yet.”

As soon as the first part of the answer reached Edelgard’s ears, her brows furrowed and her lip pulled down into a frown with concerns evidence on her face. Her old friend used to be known as the master of sleep, who could take a nap wherever and whenever he desired during their Academy’s days. However, after becoming the head of the Crest research institution, the man devoted his precious nap time for Crest research to the point that he sometimes did not have enough sleep even. Either the old habit or the new one, both utterly made the Emperor gravely concerned about the man regardless. 

And so, Edelgard articulated all of her genuine concerns and seriousness into words. “Linhardt. While I really appreciated your devotion to Crest research, I believe that you should take care of yourself first and foremost. If the head of the Crest and Relic research went down with the illness, then there was no way the research could advance further.”

As the solemn lilac eyes watched the pine green locks gradually slowed his movement, his dim eyes refused to meet hers. While Edelgard knew that Linhardt was so passionate about his area of interest, sleeping and Crest alike, she could sense something was different within the air around the man as if the reason for his sleepless research did not solely come from his commitment. Edelgard inwardly contemplated on what would be her next move during a long moment of silence with nothing but the rustle of the old papers before the man faintly changed the subject with impassive tone.

“...How’s your feeling?”

With the sudden change of topic, Edelgard quirked her brow again in mild confusion as she heard herself answered casually, “Me? I’m fine. Though I think I began losing a sense of taste for a bit, overall, I’m fine.” 

As Edelgard’s reply evaporated into the still, humid air of the Library, there was no further response from the pine green locks. A few more moments passed by as Edelgard quietly watched Linhardt shuffled the brown-yellow shaded papers here and there with a pensive expression. 

When she took in a glimpse of the dim light within his blue eyes, Edelgard inwardly made up her mind, and curiously asked, “Is there anything on your mind?”

After a few more dense silence, Linhardt let out a long sigh and slightly shrugged as if the gesture could mask the vulnerability and uncertainty in his tone. “Nothing. I guess I’m a bit impatient to find a cure for your condition.” 

Despite the mask of sarcasm, Edelgard noticed the glimpse of concern and pressure that the pine green locks hid underneath. After spending so many years and so many more battle with Linhardt, Eelgard’s heart always filled with appreciation whenever the main healer of the team tried his best to overcome his blood aversion to tend her wound at the front line, or whenever he dropped his precious time for Crest research to spend time with his companions. Even after the war ended, this man kept using his gift to save his friend’s life. To save her life. Admittedly, there was nothing else she could have asked from him. As Edelgard’s realm of thought carried her through the past and present, it was inevitable to take a glance at the future. 

And so, Edelgard found her lip formed into a weak smile before she reassured Linhardt with a soft tone that hinted with sadness. “It’s alright. Linhardt. Even if you can’t find a way, I’m fine.”

Suddenly, Linhardt’s tight lip curled into a noticeable frown as he looked up to meet the lilac eyes. “How can you be so careless? How can you belittle your own life like that? We are talking about your life, Edelgard.”

The faint bitterness that implied at the end did not falter Edelgard’s weak smile, but it only prompted her to continue with the same tone as the calm lilac eyes disguised themselves behind their curtain, “I’m tired, Linhardt. That’s all. After everything I sacrificed for, I found my body and my mind are exhausted. Besides, I already achieved all of my goals, so Fodlan will soon be freed from my grasp anyway.”

“What about Professor? And everyone? You are saying you want to leave them just like that?” At this point, Linhardt abandoned his task to send the Emperor his aggravated gaze as his hand curled into a small fist among the documents and books on the wooden table. 

After a beat, Edelgard revealed her slightly quivering lilac eyes once again to look directly into Linhardt and replied firmly with a small hint of melancholy, “...Everyone will be fine. Each of them already found their eternal happiness, so there was nothing to worry about. For Byleth...if my time has come, I believe that Byleth could move forward and continue her peaceful path without me...eventually…”

Edelgard unknowingly trailed off at the end of her words because it made her heart tight the more she thought about leaving her beloved behind. Alone. And just the thought of not being able to see her calm face, to touch her soft skin, and to hear her gentle voice pierced a sharp knife into her heart. But she believed in her beloved to understand what was inevitable and take a step forward from grief. Even if what Byleth had to overcome this time was her grave, Edelgard still had a strong faith in her lover to break through it like she always did. That said, it would be a lot better if she could look into those calm cobalt eyes forever, but inside her heart, she knew that there was always something she could not control. And death was among them. 

While Edelgard was deep in thought, an irritated sigh reached her ears before she heard Linhardt scolded mildly at her with a light scoff. “This is why I used to think of you as an annoying mother, you know? After you meticulously and successfully raised your children, you are saying it’s alright for you just to disappear? You should be a little more selfish, Edelgard. To want something back.”

When Edelgard was about to open her lip in protest, Linhardt shifted the light candle toward her and interrupted the Emperor with another helpless sigh. “Well. You are tired, right? Then take a nap. I don't feel tired because I take a lot of naps.”

As Edelgard was at a loss for what the man was trying to do, she quirked her brow in confusion before she simply said, “But I’m not feeling sleepy, and I had enough sleep during the night. Why should I take a nap here? Besides, I don’t think I could take a nap whenever I want like you.”

Linhardt let out an annoying huff before he shifted his body to demonstrate the position for taking a nap. “Just try, Edelgard. Here. You just have to rest your head on your arms like this and watch the candle’s light. The rain outside and the flicking light will do the rest for you.”

Seeing that the pine green hair was rather persistent more than usual, Edelgard let out a long sigh and gave in. A beat later, Edelgard found herself rest her heavy crowned head on her arms that placed on the table before she quietly watched the tiny light danced nonchalantly on the candle. Admittedly, when she rested her head, a wave of relief surged through Edelgard's stiff body in an instant. As a few moments of pitter-patter outside passed by, Edelgard eventually felt her eyelid heavy, and her sight started to blur in drowsiness. 

In the distance, Edelgard fainting picked up Linhardt’s oddly soft, albeit resolved tone directed at her. “Just so you know, I never doubted in my ability to hypothesize and practice my Cerst theory.”

Edegard stole a moment to secretly smile as she whispered into the soothing patter, “I know.”

While Edelgard gradually walked into the realm of dream, her mind wandered around aimlessly. Whatever her fate would become, Edelgard believed that Linhardt would find a way to keep her on the waking side of the world. But at the same time, she knew that not even Byleth nor Linhardt could prevent the death to claim her life if it desired. And that was alright, she thought. Ever since she lost the tint of brown on her delicate hair, she never wished for anything. Not anymore. She only used her hands and her legs to carry her way through the end of her path and achieve what she desired. And it was these limp that took her to this very moment, carrying her through the crimson path she created. The path she had thought she had to walk alone. But frankly, she had been more than happy for the past several years after striding down that path. Happier more than she could ever dreamt of. She was happy because she had a beloved wife, a warm family, and treasured memories she valued with all her life. There was no way she could use her strong limp to achieve anything more, to ask anything more than what everyone had already given her. 

_But…_

But if the goddess could hear her for the second time.

The same goddess that brought Byleth back from the dead. Back to her.

If she could ask that same goddess to listen to her again…

If she listened to her wish once again... 

Just one more time....to her selfish wish. 

_I wanted to live._

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR READING AND FOLLOWING THIS SERIES UNTIL THE END!!!  
> I hope you enjoy reading each story as well as this last story.   
> For Linhardt, imagine you care a lot about your friend, and one day you are responsible for saving your friend's life.  
> I know he is a talented man who know how to use his own talent, and he is quite confident about his ability too.   
> But when his friend's life is at stake, he might feel a lot of pressure.   
> I think that everyone who is responsible to be a main healer of the group might feel a similar thing too.   
> Anyway, big pats on my back to finish this series on time. Yeah~  
> I thought I could never do it because I spent too much time trying to find a word. But I did it! It's been fun to challenge myself sometimes.  
> Again, thank you for everyone who have been following this Edelgard month series since the beginning. I really appreciated your time.
> 
> Lastly, remember to stay safe out there and take care!


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